Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-04-20
Eynyosion ON a Schooner.

Henry Lewis, the colored steward Of the
schooner George Martt, recently burned oil
Hatteras, has arrived in Baltimore, and
gives the following account of the disaster /:
''The schooner left Baltimore for Charles
ton on April 10 with general cargo. The
ships company [all colored except Captain
Henderson, comprised JAS Mute, first mate;
| Henry Lewis, steward, and .Chas. Anderson,
Daniel Smith and Chas. H. Thompson, sail.
ors, and lad named Bob, as cabin boy. The
captain came on board the day before the
vessel left port, and did not know that gaso-
line or any explosive substance was in the
cargo The weather from the first day out
| was rough. The schooner passed through
! succession OF gales and snowand hail squalls
until on the morning of April 16-which was
TO witness the schooner's total destruction
she was twenty miles north of Hatteras. The
wind which had been blowing stiff all night
showed signs of going down, but the vessel
had all her sGis reeied, and was taking g
southerly course. During tbe previous
storms some Of the cargo had shifted and
first mate Mute and the boy Bob went down
TO secure it. The steward, HeDry Lewis
and Charles Thompson went down after
them. Captain Henderson was at the
wheel. Everything about the rigging
was taut TIE other men had gone into
the cabin. Two minutes after the mate
entered the hold the vessel careened
slightly TO starboard. Then came ap explo-
sion that shook the vessel from maintruck to
keelson. The entire starboatd side of the
hull was blown out, and the cargo scattered
on The ocean for yards around The Cap.
tain had the presence of mind. though un-
able TO comprehend for an instant what had
occurred, TO bring the vessel up sharp,
shouting to MS men TO come att. The wheel
was situated abaft the cabin, which hid
view Of The deck. The top Of the cabin was
blown skyward, but the men inside were
unharmed, though the force ofthe explosion
threw them fiat on their backs. They
c!ineing to the port rail made their way 10
Captain Henderson. A. moment later they
were oined bv Lewis and Thompson, the
latter wrapped in hameg and bowling in
agony with the wounds he had received.
Thompson was slightly in advance Of Lewis
when the shock came, and the flames caught
him before ne could get out Of the way. The
men had scarcely gained the wheel when
flames burst Gu! everywhere, climbing the
long, slim masts with lightning like ra-
pidity and in less than e minute the
whole vessel was blazing, except the spot
where the sailors were. There was ouly
one means of escape-the whaleboat, which
swung over the stern. Tumbliug into it,
one over the other, in their feversh haste to
get ont of The fiery furnace into Whioi.l -:
Ship had been transformed, they hacked
away the ropes with their knives. The boat
dropped with s splash on top of huge roll
er and passed astern Of the schooner, which
was now mass of flames shooting high in
the air. 1t burned to the waters edge in
three hours and sank in sight of the survi-
yors. Thompson. the injured sailor, was
we'll nigh crazy with pain, and when the
salt water washed over his burns he became
almost frantic. The boat drifted to the
southwark. and when the Benefactor hove
in sight it was abreast Of Hatteras, and
about four miles out. The men saved moth.
ing except what they wore, and the captain
lost all Of his instruments"
The cause of the explosion is mystery.
1t wns alleged by some that the first mate
took d lamp when he went into the hold,
and that gas, generated from the gasoline,
took fire and caused the upheaval. Steward
Lewis says, however, that no lamp wss
used. In that case spontaneous combustion
can only be assigned as the reason Of the
accident